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ATLANTA -- Joey Harrington is looking over his shoulder again.

The guy who already lost starting quarterback jobs in Detroit and Miami will likely face a challenge in Atlanta unless he can turn things around -- and soon.

The Falcons, who host Carolina in their home opener today, lost their first two games on the road. They scored a mere 10 points. Guess who will get most of the criticism if the defeats keep piling up?

"I guess I've learned through my time in the league that as the quarterback, you're going to get the credit or the blame placed on your shoulders," Harrington said. "That's something I'm comfortable with."

Atlanta turned up the heat on Harrington by signing Byron Leftwich, a former starter in Jacksonville who was cut by the Jaguars before the season. After spending the first two weeks without a job, he caught on with a team that has endured plenty of quarterback turmoil.

Michael Vick was supposed to be the starter, coming off a 1,000-yard rushing season, but his career crumbled after a dogfighting operation was found on his property. He was suspended indefinitely by the NFL and is likely headed to prison after pleading guilty to federal charges.

Matt Schaub had been Vick's backup, but he was traded to Houston just weeks before the dogfighting kennel was found. He has led the Texans to a 2-0 start, including a 34-21 victory over the Panthers last week.

The Falcons were forced to turn to Harrington, the No. 3 overall pick in 2002 but a bust with both the Lions and the Dolphins. He had signed in Atlanta with the idea of working behind Vick and taking steps to revive his struggling career.

That plan never worked out, of course.

Harrington threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns in a season-opening loss at Minnesota. He also has been sacked 13 times -- a staggering number that prompted coach Bobby Petrino to proclaim it wasn't entirely the offensive line's fault. He said Harrington needed to get rid of the ball quicker and be more aggressive in the passing game.

Not surprisingly, the quarterback disagreed with that assessment.